Exciting new research has linked mulberry extract to weight loss. What exactly is mulberry extract? How does it help you lose weight? Where do you buy it? Find out today in our guide.
What is Mulberry Extract?
Mulberries are a unique type of hanging fruit that grow on deciduous trees in the Moraceae family. The berries are sweet in flavor – but new research has shown that they’re also sweet in health benefits.
Mulberries have recently been linked to a wide range of health benefits, including reduced cholesterol, improved blood sugar levels, and a reduced risk of cancer.
This research was fueled by a recent study on mice, showing that mulberries can reduce the risk of obesity among genetically obese mice and mice with diet-induced obesity.
How Does Mulberry Extract Lead to Weight Loss?
The secret power behind mulberry extract appears to be the flavonoid rutin, which is also found in orange rinds, grapefruit rinds, and cranberries.
This flavonoid appears to activate brown adipose tissue (BAT), which is the fatty tissue that regulates energy metabolism.
New Mulberry Study Links Extract to Weight Loss
Why is mulberry extract suddenly making headlines? It’s because researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China recently identified rutin as a “novel small molecule” that could offer a natural treatment for weight loss and metabolic syndrome.
Researchers specifically looked at the effect mulberry extract had on metabolic syndrome, which is defined as an underlying bodily malfunction in energy utilization and storage. Today, doctors use the term “metabolic syndrome” to refer to medical conditions like high blood pressure, high glucose, and high cholesterol levels.
Prior to the latest Chinese study, rutin had demonstrated potential for interfering with the formation of blood clots in animal models. After that research came out, people began buying rutin as a nutritional supplement.
Unfortunately, rutin was never able to back up its effectiveness with major human studies. In 2010, a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel declared there was insufficient evidence supporting any major health benefits of rutin.
That’s why this latest Chinese study is a big deal.
In this latest study, researchers added rutin to two groups of mice, including genetically obese mice and mice that were obese due to their diet. These mice received a dose of 1 mg/ml of rutin.
Researchers discovered that adding rutin to both groups of mice “significantly reduced body weight, and increased energy expenditure.”
Researchers observed that rutin “played a role in rebalancing the levels of insulin and glucagon to maintain glucose levels.”
Based on this information, researchers determined that rutin activated brown adipose tissue, also known as brown fat. This led to increased energy expenditure and better blood glucose regulation. As a result, rutin as a “cold mimetic”, which means it activates a series of signaling pathways in order to increase the number of energy producing mitochondria in brown fat.
The results of the research were published in the latest edition of The FASEB Journal. You can read the full study here.
What Does this Mean for your Weight Loss?
Ultimately, this latest research is significant because it shows that rutin does have some legitimate weight loss effects – at least in mice.
Of course, there haven’t been many major human studies on rutin that have demonstrated the same effects.
That hasn’t stopped diet pill manufacturers from capitalizing on other trends. Garcinia cambogia, for example, is a popular diet pill extract that has demonstrated powerful effectiveness in mice studies – but has rarely seen those effects carry over in human trials.
How to Buy Mulberry Extract
Mulberry extract has been used as a weight loss treatment for years. That’s fortunate for you, because it means a number of mulberry extract supplements have already been released onto the market.
A quick search for mulberry extract supplements online reveals several popular options ranging in price from $10 to $50 for a one month supply.
Typically, mulberry extract supplements contain ingredients like white mulberry leaf powder extract at a concentration of 4:1. Doses range from 100mg to 500mg per capsule.
Based on research available today, these dose seem low. Some studies recommend taking doses as high as 100mg to 500mg per kg of bodyweight to achieve any active effects. If you do take mulberry extract supplements, don’t expect them to work immediately overnight. It’s the type of supplement you take to support your overall bodily health – not to treat a specific condition.
Should You Take Mulberry Extract for Weight Loss?
The weight loss effects of mulberry extract are not known for sure. Some studies have indicated powerful weight loss results, while other studies have shown a limited connection to weight loss.
This latest study from Chinese researchers doesn’t change what we know about mulberry extract: for whatever reason, the extract seems to work particularly well in studies on mice. Some people believe this translates to weight loss results in humans – although we don’t know for sure if that’s true.
Fortunately, weight loss isn’t the only reason to take mulberry extract. Other research has linked mulberry extract to a reduced risk of cancer and other diseases. It’s a flavonoid and antioxidant. It’s also surprisingly affordable, with mulberry extract supplements priced for between $10 and $30 online.
If you’re interested in the health benefits of mulberry extract – including the weight loss benefits – then consider buying a mulberry extract supplement online today.
